ESCONDIDO: Mayor calls Chargers junket a success

But Pfeiler criticized for keeping colleagues in dark

Mayor Lori Holt Pfeiler's November lobbying junket to the
Chargers-Broncos game has been hailed as a success by Pfeiler and
the Palomar Medical Center officials who decided to send her, but
other members of the City Council have criticized the trip.

The trip's two main goals were persuading Chargers officials
that Escondido would be a good place to build a new stadium, and
that team officials should consider greater collaboration with the
public hospital district that operates Palomar.

Pfeiler said this week that she made headway on both fronts
while watching the Nov. 22 game from a luxury box with Susie
Spanos, wife of team President Dean Spanos, and while having dinner
on Nov. 21 with other members of the Spanos family, which owns the
team.

"It went great, and I think there was an excellent rapport,"
said Pfeiler, who flew to Denver on one of the Chargers' chartered
jets.

But because the team has put the possibility of an Escondido
stadium on the "back burner" while it explores a potential site
near Petco Park in San Diego, Pfeiler said that the stadium
discussions were low-key and that no concrete progress was
made.

Escondido emerged last summer as a suitor for the team, which
has said it will leave outdated Qualcomm Stadium in Mission Valley
for a modern stadium. The leading Escondido site has been an aging
industrial area southeast of where Interstate 15 intersects Highway
78.

Pfeiler's trip to Denver was criticized by Councilwomen Olga
Diaz and Marie Waldron, who have complained that Pfeiler was stingy
with details before the trip and after she returned, making it hard
for them to answer questions from constituents.

"None of the council knew that city money was being used before
we read about it in the newspaper," said Diaz. "If the city was
going to spend money, it should have been discussed."

Diaz and Waldron also complained that Pfeiler and other city
officials waited until this week to reveal the cost of the trip,
which turned out to be $309 for airfare and hotel.

"I'm not questioning whether the trip was worthwhile, but we've
never been briefed on the cost or other details," said Waldron.
"The council needs to know more about what's going on."

Councilman Sam Abed has criticized the trip for different
reasons. He contends Pfeiler should not have spent city money on
such a trip at a time when sharp drops in city revenue have
required employee layoffs and severe program cuts.

"As an elected official, I wouldn't have done it," said Abed.
"She could have taken Spanos to the possible stadium site, or it
could have been done at a home game for the Chargers."

Abed also said Pfeiler and city officials were underestimating
the cost of the trip to avoid a public outcry. State ethics
guidelines require the city to estimate the cost of "free" trips
taken by city officials, and then to reimburse the organization
that provided the gift.

City finance chief Gil Rojas said the city attorney's office
arrived at $309 by checking weekend air fares from San Diego to
Denver on the Travelocity Web site and by checking room rates at
the Hyatt Regency Denver. The airfare chosen was $205 and the room
rate was $104, he said.

Rojas said the city will send a check for $309 on Wednesday to
hospital district officials, who received two slots on the team
plane and allowed Pfeiler to use one of them. The other passenger
was Dr. Doug Moir, a local cardiologist who has been one of the
hospital's leading fundraisers.

Terry Green, chief of fundraising for the hospital district,
said Tuesday that district officials were pleased with the results
of the trip.

He said officials were optimistic about new collaborations with
the Chargers, possibly including special health programs for
retired Chargers, many of whom live in North County.

Before the trip, Pfeiler said she would lobby Dean Spanos to
join a fundraising effort aimed at covering a funding shortfall for
a $917 million, 11-story hospital the district is constructing in
western Escondido. But no new fundraising role for Spanos has been
announced.

Councilman Dick Daniels, a strong ally of Pfeiler, praised her
trip to Denver.

"It was key for her to have face time with the person who's
going to ultimately make the stadium decision for the Chargers,"
said Daniels. "These kinds of trips are kind of where business gets
done in the major leagues."